Masquerade
by AmoDomus
Summary: Mac is having a little trouble with something, and Harm is there to help her, as usual. But has he ever had to deal with anything as difficult as a Marine's Halloween costume? HM
1. Chapter 1

**Summary**: Mac is having difficulty with something, and Harm comes to the rescue, as usual. However, he's never had to deal with something quite as threatening as a Marine's Halloween costume. Complete Harm/Mac fluff.

**Disclaimer**: I obviously don't own JAG, because Harm and Gunny aren't locked in my closet. JAG belongs to David Bellasario and CBS.

**A/N**: Hey everyone, this is the first fic I've posted on here, and I really hope everyone here enjoys it. I'm a total sap, so don't expect any deep angst in this one (though I will definatly explore it in later fics). Anyway, please review and give any constructive critism you may have.

"I hate these things." Sarah Mackenzie threw the innocent white sheet of paper on her desk like it was a warrant for her arrest. Groaning, she sat back in her chair, massaging her temples.

"You hate what, Marine?" A voice interrupted her thoughts.

Looking up, she caught a hint of a flyboy grin on the face of her partner, who apparently had been leaning up on the door for at least a minute or two. "Nosy Squids." She replied smoothly, smiling slightly despite herself. "And they just seem to be coming out of the woodworks."

Harm put his hand over his heart in a gesture of mock hurt. "That cuts deep, Mac." Stepping in the doorway completely, he shut the door behind him. "Seriously, what is it that has you so stressed out? The McCray case is destined for a plea bargain, and…"

"It's not a case, Harm." She sighed, resigned to how sad this was going to sound. "It's the Halloween Party."

His eyebrows shot up. "Bud and Harriet's Halloween Party?" A flash of amusement appeared in his eyes. "The U.S. Marines have an aversion to Halloween parties? Do they teach that in boot camp, or did you just pick it up along the way?"

A glare answered his question. "It's not the party. It's the costume that the invitation so cheerily says to remember." The amusement growing in the Navy officer's eyes was doing nothing to help Mac's temperament.

"Why? Do you not like dressing up for Halloween?"

"I just can never feel comfortable getting into fluffy cutesy outfits or daring genie numbers. They're just not…me, you know?" And the thing was, she knew he _did _know. He always knew. Laughing quietly, she continued. "I guess I could always go as a Lt. Colonel in the Marines."

Harm chuckled. "No, you are going to have a costume. The rest of us have to dress up, you are no exception. If we have to be ridiculous, so do you."

"We could all go as various Navy and Marine officers."

"And it would be just like a day at the office with candy corn. Now how much fun is that?" Mac snorted in reply. "I thought as much. Now, the trick is to get you a costume you can actually tolerate wearing…." He furrowed his brows in thought.

Raising an eyebrow, Mac looked up at Harm."Good luck on that one."

Leaning casually against the file cabinet, he looked around the room, as if searching for some clue in the myriad of files. Suddenly his eyes lit up, and a flyboy grin appeared in full force on his features. "I've got it!"

After a few seconds of silence, Mac took the bait. "And would you care to tell me exactly what it is you've gotten. It's only my costume."

"It'll be a surprise." Oh no, he's got that look on his face…

"I'm not really sure I like the sound of this…"

"Don't worry…you also helped me get my costume actually…just trust me on this." Mac's expression conveyed exactly what she thought of this, especially when his smile widened. "Believe me, Mac, you'll love this."

_I bet I will. _"Can you at least tell me what your costume is going to be?"

"If I tell you that, you'll know yours…its sort of a package deal." The unspoken behind his words…the _so we'll be going together…_hung in the air, and neither of them cared to clear it away.

Sighing with a resigned nod, Mac smiled slightly. "Alright, Flyboy, you take care of my costume. Though, remember, I know where you live."

"Ah, so the idea I had of bunny ears and a fluffy tail is out the window?"

The flirty tone in his voice threw her a bit off guard, but she caught herself in time to send a threatening comment about the placement of said bunny ears and well placed glare his way. Knowing a cue when he saw one, Harm headed toward the door.

"Trust me, Marine." With a parting smile, he disappeared, leaving Mac slightly worried but strangely excited at the same time. _Stupid holiday. _

Over the next two weeks, Mac tried not to ponder the various costumes Harm may have had in mind. In spite of her efforts, she still found herself staring around her office in search of whatever had tipped Harm off in the first place. Amid the files and few personal pictures there seemed to be nothing costume-worthy. Harm's random glances at her were no help either – they were usually accompanied with a strange smile that somehow managed to thrill and terrify her at the same time.

"So…about Halloween...what are you…?" As they sat in the meeting room she tried one more time to catch him off guard. It worked just as well as it did the other 10 times she tried it.

"Cut it, Marine. You'll know on Halloween."

"And how am I supposed to get the brilliant costume if it is a surprise? Click my heels three times and I'll have it on?"

His flyboy grin hit in full force. "As good of an idea as that is, no. I'll send it to your house the day before to make sure it fits…you won't get it til you see me anyway."

"_Greeat. _That makes me feel so much better. Is there anything I need to do to make my costume complete?" One thing Mac hated was not being in control. This certainly counted.

Harm snapped his fingers, apparently remembering something. "Yes there is! Halloween morning I need you to go to the salon a block from your apartment. They'll know what to do."

"A salon!" Any fear she had was now elevated to three times its normal status. "If this involves any major changes to my hair, including, but not limited to, cutting, coloring…

"Trust me." Screw those Squids and their pitiful faces. As if he didn't know she trusted him more than anyone in the world. "It's not permanent, merely a hairstyle. And you'll still have time to go back home and put on your costume before I get there. Your appointment's at 1500."

"Right." The sense of foreboding didn't ease much. "So, I'm getting the costume Friday…then appointment and party Saturday….I do appreciate you giving me a day to run screaming if the costume is…questionable."

"That in itself should tell you my intentions are honorable. So, Bud, what do you have for me on Hamilton?" As quickly as it started, the conversation ended, winding its way back into the world of military justice.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thank you all so much for all the kind reviews:hugs everyone: I know my chapters aren't particularly long, but I'm trying to update as quickly as reality allows, so I'm hoping that'll count for something! Anyway, still don't own anything remotely pertaining to JAG, unfortunatly, so onward we go...

Mac had just beaten the general Friday traffic, managed to get in her apartment and change into sweats when she heard a knock on her door. More than a little apprehensive, she opened it, knowing what was going to be on the other side. As expected, a delivery man stood with a package and clipboard. "Sarah Mackenzie?"

"Yes, though I'm afraid I may regret admitting it." The delivery man gave her a strange look and handing her the clipboard. Signing it quickly, she took the package with a forced smile and retreated back into her apartment. She sat the package beside her on the couch, trying to figure out how one plain box could insight so much apprehension.

The tape on the corners came off quickly with a knife, and slowly Mac lifted the lid. Letting out a gasp, she pulled out the garment. It was nothing like she would have ever expected. A cream-colored gown folded gracefully over her couch, long, gauzy, and altogether beautiful. The style was distinctly Victorian, with a low-cut neck trimmed with sparkling lace, long fitted sleeves, and a full skirt embroidered with subtle silver designs. It was a gown fit for a princess, and, for once, Sarah Mackenzie was utterly speechless.

Under the gown a small piece of paper lay folded carefully. In Harm's meticulous handwriting _You will understand in time _was scrawled, making Mac furrow her brow even more. Not only were the words distinctly not Harm, or even something said in normal conversation, they rang a bell in her head that she simply could not place.

"I'll worry about that later." She said aloud to the empty room. First there were more pressing matters, like trying on the gorgeous dress in front of her. Being a marine did not cancel out the Cinderella feeling she had as she rushed to the bathroom to change. Staring at herself in the mirror, she gaped at her reflection. The dress fit in all the right places, complemented her color…made her feel beautiful.

_Harm…_ The thought of appearing with Harm in this dress, with her hair done, her makeup perfect…it was a dream she could not even imagine. Smoothing down the full skirt in the front, she turned slowly once for good measure, and smiled. _He did good…really good. _Suddenly it occurred to her that a thank you call would most defiantly be in order, so, without taking off the dress, she swished her way to the living room. Sitting down as delicately as possible, she reached for the phone and dialed the familiar number.

After two rings the deep voice of her Squid picked up with a quick and professional "Rabb". _My Squid? Oh my Lord… _

"Hey Harm, it's Mac."

"Mac." The tone of his voice changed immediately from cold professionalism to warm candor. "Did you get it?"

"I did, Harm. It's…I mean…really beautiful." _Intelligent, Mackenzie. Nice._

"I'm glad you liked it." The voice on the other end sounded almost relieved. She could almost see the smile lighting up his features. "I hoped you would."

"I love it, Harm. Really I do. It's so elegant, and it fits me perfectly…"

"You've tried it on?"

"Still wearing it, actually." _Way to look insane, Mac. Good going. _

She heard his laughter at the other end, less scornful that she would have thought. It was more…affectionate than anything. "I'm glad. I had to consult Harriet about sizes."

"She knows what it is?" _Calling Harriet right after this…_

"No, just that I'm getting you a costume. Then again, with your subtle attempts to find out about said costume, the entire office knows." Mac laughed at the truth of the statement, though she was a little disappointed at the dashing of the last hope of figuring out the mystery.

"So it does fit well, then?" Harm switched the conversation immediately, probably knowing where Mac was heading with the line of questioning.

"So well, Harm. It makes me feel beautiful." Mac immediately put her hand to her mouth, wishing she could take back the last childish, wistful words to leave her mouth. _I didn't just say that…please Lord tell me I didn't just say that…_

The silence on the other end of the line assured Mac that she had just revealed herself to be a complete idiot. Just before she opened her mouth to do some rambling damage control, Harm's voice came softly though the phone. "You're always beautiful, Mac."

The shock of his statement literally left her speechless. After a very awkward moment of silence from both parties, Mac managed a breathy "Thank you".

"You're welcome, Mac." Harm's voice sounded as shaky as hers did, but Mac refused to let her mind dwell on the reasons why. _Wishful thinking…just wishful thinking… _

Desperate to change the subject and regain some semblance of dignity, Mac pulled the same card she'd played for weeks now. "So, now that I have the gown, is there any hope of getting you to tell me what it is and save me hours of pondering?"

Soft laughter rang in her ear. "Not a chance, Mackenzie. The note I left in there is all the hint your getting."

"Hint? One sentence, Harm, which made little sense. That's what you gave me as a hint?"

"It'll make more sense when you see me, I promise. You only have to wait until tomorrow, Mac. Think you can handle it?"

"No." His laughter grew louder. "You're enjoying this way too much, you know that?"

"Yes, I do. I also know that you can wait until tomorrow, despite how much you believe you need the information now. Don't forget the appointment at 1500 either."

"Wouldn't miss it." Her voice made it clear that she was perfectly sincere. "And what time should I expect you here, oh mysterious one?"

"Party starts at 1900, so I'd say about…1815? Just so we can have time to deal with any traffic that may come up. It'll also give you time to put on the dress, do your make-up…whatever you women need to do to get ready for a party."

"1815…so I should expect to see you around 1845 then?" They shared a soft laugh.

"I'll be on time, I promise. Wouldn't miss this for the world." Mac smiled slightly and nodded, before realizing he couldn't see her.

"Me either, flyboy."

"Well, I better let you go…you know, get out of that dress, spend a few hours pondering the costume…"

"Yeah, I better. I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Absolutely. 1815, be ready and waiting."

"Always, Harm, always. "

"Night, Ninja Girl."

"Good night, Flyboy."

Slowly she sat the phone back in the receiver, an unreadable smile playing across her lips. She padded her way back into her bedroom and hung the dress meticulously on her closet door. Stepping back, she admired it with a growing feeling of excitement, and decided that Harm was right about one thing – she would spend the next few hours trying to figure out what it was. Then the next few would be dedicated to dreaming of dancing with a handsome prince (interestingly enough, in a naval uniform) in a land far, far away.

**A/N: **I know, I know, you still don't know what it is! At least know you have a little bit of information. Kudos to you if you figure it out before I post the next chapter (in which Harm will show up and all we be explained, I promise). Anyway, thanks again for all the kind reviews, and please keep sending them!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Hey again, everyone! Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews, I really love them::gives everyone a hug again: Anyway, on to the chapter, because I know you're ready to figure out the costume plan! Still don't own anything, by the way. Onward...

At promptly 1500 the next day Sarah Mackenzie made her way into the hair salon. After the surprises of the night before, she was certainly less apprehensive of what lay ahead, but still a little interested in what Harm had told them to do. He didn't exactly strike her as the expert on hairstyling. She made her way to the front desk and a pleasant older woman. "Yes, dear?"

"I'm Sarah Mackenzie and my partner made me an appointment for today. I honestly have no idea what I'm supposed to do, but he assured me that it's all taken care of." Despite the calmed feeling about the hairstyle, Mac still wasn't really thrilled with being out of control, and she certainly felt uncomfortable admitting her disadvantage to other people.

"I have you down for an up-do with Jenny. I suppose your partner is getting you ready for Halloween?" The woman smiled warmly as she stood, gesturing for Mac to follow her into an adjoining room. In the room was the typical line up for a hair salon – rows of chairs and mirrors along each wall, with pleasant looking women and men chatting amicably while snipping, coloring, and styling. Jenny was the 20-something brunette at the end of the row who smiled warmly as they approached.

"You must be Sarah Mackenzie." Mac smiled slightly and nodded, sitting down in the chair and turning toward the mirror. "I've been told to do an old-fashioned, romantic up-do on you, with plenty of curls and sparkling clasps. Is this what you want?"

"In all honesty, I have no idea what I want, because my partner was the one making all these brilliant plans. Just do what it says, and I'll deal with him accordingly." Humor laced her sarcastic words, because she was really beginning to love the way this costume was turning out. _Old fashioned…romantic…curled…this is going to look beautiful. _Harm's assurance that she was always beautiful rang in her ears, but before she could dwell too much on it, Jenny interrupted her thoughts.

"Trust me, this will look wonderful on you. You're partner knows what is right for you, I think."

"Yeah, he tends to…" The phrase slipped out more wistfully than Mac intended, and had she been afraid of running into the young hairstylist again, she would have tried to work damage control. At the moment, thought, it just didn't really seem worth it.

Jenny grinned and reached for her comb, beginning to pull her short hair up into clips. Mac watched the process carefully, more out of interest than any lingering apprehension. It was more precise than Mac could have imagined – Jenny was somehow managing to get even her short hair into small clips and curls, securing it all into small sparkling clips. About an hour of amicable chatting later, Jenny curled the last bit of lingering hair around her face, and stepped out of the way of the mirror. "So…what do you think?"

Even watching the entire process didn't minimize the wonder Mac felt at the finished product. The upswept hair was fixed in a perfect style that crossed many different small sections of hair until all was finally met at the crown of her head. The hair left at the top was curled perfectly, and all the places where the sections crossed were clipped with sparkling flower-shaped ornaments. The hair left around her face was curled as well, leaving her feeling like the ultimate in old-world chic.

"I absolutely love it." The effect of this style along with the dress hanging in her room was already running through her mind, making her more eager than ever to get home and get ready for Harm. "Thank you so much. How much do I owe you?"

"That's already been taken care of, ma'am. Your partner dropped off the payment when he made the appointment. He also supplied those pretty little clips you have." Mac nodded and smiled graciously, but as she left she couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder. _Harm must have spent a fortune on all this…how could I have not thought of this before? _As she walked the short distance back to her apartment, she fumbled for her phone and dialed the same number she had the night before.

"Rabb."

"Hey, it's Mac. I just got done with the hair appointment."

"Did it turn out alright? I left as specific instructions as I could, but I let them make the general decisions. I'm not exactly a hair expert." Mac laughed good-naturedly. Well, she had been right about that.

"It's wonderful, Harm. Just perfect. You did good, flyboy." She heard his appreciative chuckle on the other end.

"I'm glad. I can only imagine how amazing you're going to look tonight." The same awkwardness that flooded them last night returned, and Mac actually stopped on the sidewalk to recover enough breath to change the subject. She chose the one that she had originally intended to broach.

"So…exactly how much do I owe you for all of this? The lady at the salon said you'd taken care of the tab, and there was no bill in the package I got last night…"

"That's because it's all taken care of, Marine." The warmth in his voice surprised her, though the words were basically what she had expected to hear. For some reason, she knew he had taken care of everything, even if she wasn't going to let it go.

"Harm…I can't take all of this…I mean, you've helped me by just finding a costume, I can't expect you to pay for all of it…" While more stammered that she would have liked, she was at least glad that the words came out coherently.

"But I'm still going to. Listen, Mac, I _want _to do this for you. Don't feel obligated to repay me. I'm going to have the best looking woman on my arm at the party tonight, and you'll be enjoying yourself when you thought you wouldn't. That's enough repayment for me."

The absolute honesty of the statement floored Mac, and she was left grappling with words for more time than she would have liked. To have _Harm _saying something like that… the one who ran and hid from situations that even resembled deep emotions between the two of them…Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she finally spoke. "Thank you, Harm. For everything."

"You are very welcome, Marine." The warmth in his voice hadn't faded. "Now, don't you have a party to get ready for?"

Mac smiled as she headed up the stairs to her apartment. "That I do. My escort had better not be late, or he will see how little wearing a dress can affect a Marine's performance in battle."

"I'll be there Mac. See you then."

"Bye, Harm." Still smiling like a schoolgirl, Mac led herself into the apartment and made a beeline for her bedroom. Carefully maneuvering around the perfectly set hair, she changed into her dress in record time, twirling once in the mirror for good effect. 30 minutes of applying the perfect make-up and a search for the perfect shoe later, Mac was finished. Standing in front of her bedroom mirror, she could not honestly remember a time that she felt this beautiful. It seemed to her that she had almost stepped out of another time entirely, and ended up in her apartment waiting for her prince (or whatever he was going to be) to come.

Looking at the clock, she realized that she was still done earlier than expected, so she headed to the living room to enjoy one of the books she'd been reading. Losing herself in the fictional characters, she almost didn't hear the knock on the door a while later. Looking at the clock again, she smiled. 1814.

Mac swished her way to the door, almost giddy with anticipation of what was going to be on the other side. Weeks of waiting had finally come to this. Opening the door slowly, she gasped in surprise and wonder at what stood on the other side.

The man (she knew it was Harm, but at the moment her mind wasn't registering much of anything) was clad in fitted black trousers and a dipping white ruffled shirt that would send any woman swooning. A black hat was tipped over the head, and a cape swished gracefully to the floor, trimmed in blood red silk. The face held the definitive costume piece– a white mask covering the upper left side of his face.

"Oh, Harm…" It was all she could trust herself to say at the moment, but it seemed to be alright – it looked as if he were under the same spell. He stood still in the hallway for a long moment just staring at her, before smiling brilliantly under the mask.

"You look absolutely beautiful, Mac." His words brought Mac quickly out of her stupor, and she motioned for him to come inside.

"And you look positively handsome, flyboy. Or, should I say, the Phantom?"

Harm smiled again, nodding in confirmation of the obvious. "Do you get the hint now, Christine?"

_You will understand in time. _"Of course! The song! Harm, you are too brilliantly devious for your own good."

He laughed outright at that. "You would have figured it out eventually, Marine, I have no doubt. That's why I only gave you one day."

"How kind of you." There was no sarcasm in the tone, only pure amusement. "Where did you come up with this idea? It never would have crossed my mind."

"That picture on your desk of Bud, Harriet, you and me. It was taken that night after we had gone to see Phantom at that theatre, remember?"

All the pieces were falling together in Mac's mind, and she nodded. "Of course I do. That night was so much fun…I love Phantom of the Opera."

"I know." The look on his face sent shivers down Mac's spine, and all she could do was smile back in response.

"Oh, wait! How could I forget?" Harm's eyes suddenly lit up. He reached into his back pocket under the cape and brandished a single red rose, tied up perfectly with a black silk ribbon. Handing it to Mac with a slight nodding bow, he whispered "Happy Halloween, Christine."

Taking the rose and running it through her fingers, Mac beamed up at her Angel of more than just Music. "Happy Halloween, my dear tutor. Shall we head on the party, then?"

"Absolutely, my dear pupil." Taking his arm, Mac glided toward the door, feeling more like Christine with each passing moment. It was turning into the best Halloween she could have possibly imagined.

**A/N: **Well, there you go::does a happy dance at finally getting the chapter done: A thousand kudos to the two of you that figured it out, and thanks again for all the lovely reviews! It's really nice to know people are reading my story. Anyway, I'll get the party chapter up as soon as time allows, and I love you all.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: OK, first the groveling apology - I am so sorry it has taken me so long to update. I would give you the litany of excuses I have, but I know no one cares. You're all probably spent with me anyway. The point is, I have it now, and I promise you the next and final update will be quicker. :looks around at the skeptical raised eyebrows: Seriously! Ok, going to hide in my hole now. :pokes head out: Oh yeah, own nothing, never will. :hides again:

For those who know little about Phantom of the Opera, here's a quick recap - The Phantom is a tortured, disfigured musical genius living below the Paris Opera Populaire in the nineteenth century. He falls in love with the young soprano Christine, and becomes her musical tutor and her so-called Angel of Music. When her childhood sweetheart comes back and falls in love with her, there is a fantastic love triangle with some of the most amazing music ever. The Phantom is a stalkerish sort of dark romantic, but he is a thousand times sexier than Raoul, in my opinion, and makes for a better costume.

The party seemed to already be in motion by the times they got there, despite the fact that they were only a few minutes late. Mac followed Harm carefully to the doorway, the happiness she felt competing momentarily with the worry that she would fall on her face or tear the dress. After tackling the cobblestone pathway and the steps, she found herself at the door close to Harm, waiting for the doorbell to be answered.

The wait wasn't that long. The door opened on the third ring to a man in a toga, laurel leaves ringing his head. "Sir, Ma'am! Come on in..awesome costume by the way."

"Thanks, Bud." They answered in unison, going into the carefully-decorated living room. Spider webs hung from the ceiling and dull lighting created a perfectly creepy mood for the party at hand. The hostess responsible didn't take long to appear.

"Sir! You look so handsome!" Harriet, dressed perfectly as Cleopatra, complete with wig, giggled as Harm leaned down to kiss her cheek. She turned to Mac and smiled even more broadly. "Oh, Ma'am! You look amazing! It ended up wonderfully!"

"It did, didn't it?" Mac returned the smile and glanced over Harriet's shoulder, where Harm was watching her with a small smile. "Where's my godson, by the way? Shouldn't he be invited?"

"He's gone trick-or-treating with his Uncle Mikey. They'll be back soon, though I'm pretty sure he'll be ready for bed. He's been a little over-excited today."

"And he has a right to! It is Halloween after all!" Harm laughed outright at Mac's outburst, and Mac gave him a smirk. If he didn't say anything about her previous hate of the holiday, neither would she.

They moved further along into the party, greeting fellow officers and friends and smiling modestly at the praise of their costumes. Meeting Singer was probably the hardest thing they did, not because of her general unpleasentness, but because of her choice of costume. Red from head to toe, complete with horns and a tale, stood Satan Singer, tight-lipped smile and full wine glass. "Nice costume, Singer." Mac said as evenly as she could.

"And you, Ma'am. You and the Commander look perfect together." Turning on heel, Satan wandered off into the crowd, leaving a very awkward silence in her wake. _No doubt her plan. _Mac bitterly thought.

After a very long moment, Harm broke the silence. "Well, at least she's embracing her true self. Acceptance is the first step, is it not?" Laughter dispelled any remaining awkwardness, and they stood there for a moment imagining Singer ruling the Underworld.

"Anything particularly amusing, Colonel, Commander?" The voice of their CO came from behind them. Turning around, they both started to straighten up, only to collapse into giggles again. The Admiral's head was shining with a particular gleen tonight, and he was wearing yellow rubber gloves. "Mr.Clean" was pasted across his shirt.

"Nothing I can see, Admiral." Harm managed. The Admiral gave him a stern look that didn't mask the twinkle in his eyes.

"I just came over to commend my officers on a superb execution of costumes. You look wonderful, Colonel, no doubt thanks the Commander." The two junior officers exchanged a look of amusement that their bickerings had made it up to their CO's ears.

"Well, sir, I merely provided the costume. I'm afraid I wouldn't look half as good in it as the Colonel does." Laughter enveloped the group again, but inwardly Mac marveled at Harm's continued insistence that she was beautiful. It usually took an act of Congress and two of God to get the idea that she was female out of him, much less beautiful.

"I will second you on that, Commander. Now, you must excuse me. I think I'm obligated to make my rounds. I think I'll start with Satan over there…." Nodding, the Admiral followed the path Singer had used moments before.

The Admiral's departure left a more comfortable silence than Singer's, and the duo watched the people around the room with a mild interest. As they stood watching the people mill about laughing at each other, a slow song filled the room, and atmosphere changed to something decidedly more intimate. Couple paired off and moved closer, and Mac smiled slightly at the people she had come to call family. Her thoughts were cut off by a voice tickling her ear. "Care to dance, my angel?"

It never ceased to amaze her that a voice could send shivers down her spine. But it just had, and she turned to the source of the invitation a little more breathless than a Marine should be. "Yes." _Intelligent. Really fantastic, Mac. _Her inner voice didn't have much time to berate itself, though, because all thoughts fell silent as Harm pulled her further into the center of the room and into his arms.

His arms wrapped comfortably around her waist, and hers snaked around his neck as her head fell comfortably on his chest. She felt his head rest lightly against her hair, his breath brushing the curls gathered at the top of her head. The song faded into the background of her subconscious until all she could really do is feel. She felt the warmth of his hands where they lay on her waist, felt his smooth cheek against her temple, felt his heartbeat dangerously close to hers…

It frightened her really, how right this felt, how at home being in his arms made her feel. Not because she didn't want this – as his hands shifted and pulled her a little bit closer she knew that there was nothing she wanted more – but because in the back of her mind she knew this would end. The song would fade out, the lights would come up, and Harm would move away with a flyboy smile and she would feel more lost than she was before the song started.

The song seemed to last an eternity and an instant, but it did end. As the lights came up and couples moved away, Harm and Mac lingered in an embrace a half-second longer than was probably socially proper, but neither cared. Harm's soft smile matched Mac's as they finally pulled away, and his hand lingered on her waist as they wandered over to the punch table.

The rest of the party passed in a blur, highlighted by Little AJ screaming when he saw Satan appearing out of the hallway bathroom as soon as he arrived home. Harriet and Bud managed to get the terrified child into bed while the rest of the room collapsed into uncontrollable, slightly unprofessional giggles. Singer disappeared soon after.

There were four more slow songs, all four of which found Harm and Mac in another warm embrace, an arrangement neither of them contested. No one else in the room said a word either, except to exchange smiles and knowing nods. As people trickled out and everyone said their goodbyes, Harm leaned over to Mac and wound his arm through hers. "Ready to go home?" The various meanings behind that didn't escape either of them, and they stood for a moment allowing every feeling they were fighting to surface behind their eyes.

"I'm ready."

Ok, party DONE! The next chapter will be the last, and will involve the conversation back that the apartment. Yay, I'm excited. If you like fluff, stay far away. Actually, if you don't like fluff, why the heck have you come this far?


	5. Chapter 5

And here it is…. :applauds ridiculously: Finished, finally, and hopefully to everyone's liking…Lord, I could feel the sap flowing out of the computer as I was writing it. Anyway, I'll stop rambling and get to it, I hope it lives up to what everyone expected. I still own nothing, because if I did, Harm and his Phantom costume would have no time for Mac .

The ride home was not unpleasant, though Mac was sure it was longer somehow than the ride up there. Something told her that once they got back something would be different…the night had been too perfect, too charged with some energy she didn't realize was possible. For better or for worse, _something _was going to happen tonight, and it both thrilled and terrified her.

Harm seemed slightly preoccupied as well, but he tried to hide it under general banter and wry grins that could have been seen as any day at the office. However, as the car pulled into the parking lot of her apartment building, they both became significantly quieter, the atmosphere one of anticipation.

Harm walked her to her apartment as the perfect gentleman, and they lingered at her door for a moment before the presence of mind to say 'Come in' came to her. He smiled softly and nodded, following her into the dark apartment. A couple of light switches and a quick check of the messages later, Mac turned around to face the man still standing a few feet from the doorway, watching her every move.

Suddenly self-consciousness hit her like a wave, and she stood there for a moment just staring at him, a blush rising in her cheeks. "Would you like something to drink?" _OK, so not perfect, but a start._

"A soda would be nice." Harm snapped out of his own form of a trance as he nodded, following her into the kitchen. Trying to control her shaking hands was not an easy task, but somehow she managed well enough to poor them two glasses of soda. She offered him what little food was still in her fridge as well, but he declined.

The formalities were now out of the way, and the now-silent duo made there way back into the living room. Mac realized how ridiculous they would look to anyone outside the four walls of her apartment – the legendary Phantom of the Opera and Christine, sitting on a couch with sodas in their hands. In the interests of salvaging the awkward silence that had fallen upon them, Mac spoke.

"Thank you again for tonight, Harm. I really had a fantastic time."

His smile sent the butterflies in her stomach into seizures, as he shook his head. "I told you, Mac, it was my pleasure. I don't think I've had a better Halloween."

"I know I haven't." Her reply made his smile even wider, and his eyes twinkled behind the stark white mask. "By the way, have I told you that you make an absolutely fantastic Phantom?"

"Good to know." He chuckled, leaning toward her. "I think I mentioned how wonderfully cast Christine was."

His close proximity caused the butterflies to implode upon themselves. She managed to keep her voice in check long enough to manage "Also good to know".

"I'm really glad you had a good time, Mac. That's all I was going for. Getting to dress up in the coolest costume at the party was just a bonus." They both laughed at that, calming the atmosphere for a brief moment before he continued. "Seriously, Mac, it was fantastic. And the fact that you loved it too….."

As he trailed off she made the mistake of looking up into his eyes, causing all other thought to cease. He was so close, too close….He was caught in the same spell, apparently, because he seemed to stop breathing as well, and they sat there in an eternal moment before he spoke barely above a whisper. "I just want to make sure you're happy, Mac."

"I am." That was all the reply he needed, because in the next instant he had caught her lips in a deep kiss, sending all thoughts out of her head and all emotions exploding through her. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and the silky expanse of his cape as he tickled the curls on the side of her face. He pulled away first, resting his forehead against hers and looking into her eyes for a reaction.

"I've been wanting to do that all night." The twinkle in his blue eyes was matched in hers, and she brought her hand up to caress the cheek below his mask.

"And I've been wanting to do that for a lot longer." He smiled, capturing her lips in a quick kiss.

"Me too, actually." His smile faded into an affectionate expression as he traced her jaw with his hand. "I guess this is the part of the play where I sing a beautiful musical number and carry you away to my lair."

He was rewarded with a chuckle. "Don't try it, Harm. I do have neighbors who might get angry if they are awoken by operatic ballads."

"How about just a little taste?" His voice lowered to a soft baritone as he sung his next few words. "Christine, I love you….."

Mac knew her eyes were glistening and her smile close to adolescent in his sillyness, but at the moment none of that mattered. In a choked voice she replied. "That I think they can handle. I love you too, my angel."

His grin matched hers, and he moved in to kiss her on the forehead. "Past the point of no return?"

"We better be this time."

"Good, because if you run off with any blonde pretty boys…."

"You have my permission to hang them from the ceiling."

"Good. " His smirk hid the various past issues that would, eventually, be talked about. But not tonight…tonight they would forget every reason they couldn't, shouldn't, wouldn't be together and just love. Tomorrow she'd be Lt. Colonel Sarah Mackenzie and he'd be Commander Harmon Rabb. Tomorrow, that wouldn't be a problem anymore.

And there it is. :huge sigh of relief: I'm sorry it took so long it coming, but now its done…the ending is so full of sap I'm surprised I didn't die writing it. So, hope you enjoyed it, and I'm intending to write some more eventually…actually right now I'm working on some fics for other fandoms, so check those out if you want to. :huggles all reviewers:


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